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Winchester council approves changes to Frederick–Winchester Service Authority to rebalance ownership and board
Summary
Council approved revisions reducing the service authority board from nine to five, shifting plant ownership to a 50/50 split with Frederick Water and securing a $2 million payment over 15 years to compensate Winchester for excess wastewater flow capacity.
The Winchester City Council on May 26 approved a set of resolutions to modify the articles and appointments for the Frederick–Winchester Service Authority, aiming to align ownership and capacity at the regional wastewater treatment plant.
Terry, a city staff presenter, told council the authority was formed in the 1970s and now primarily handles wastewater. He said the city owns more flow capacity than it needs while Frederick County owns more biological treatment capacity, and that the changes would make plant ownership “50/50” between the city and Frederick Water. He added the restructuring would reduce the board from nine members to five — two city appointees, two county appointees and one joint appointment — and include a $2,000,000 payment from Frederick Water to Winchester spread over 15 years to compensate the city for flow capacity being transferred to the county.
City Attorney Melissa Michaelson told the council the parties to a Fairfax lawsuit about Moritz Plaza "have settled the Fairfax lawsuit" and that construction financing is in place; she said staff has found no breach of the city's performance agreement with Winchester Acquisition Partners. That legal update framed part of the council's discussion because the authority changes are related to the wider redevelopment.
Councilors asked technical questions about flow metering and how biological loads from industrial dischargers are measured; staff said flow is metered at the plant and biological load for large industrial users is tracked at the point of discharge. After discussion, a motion to approve the package was seconded and the council approved the resolutions.
The action alters governance and long-term finance of regional wastewater services rather than operations of the city's potable-water supply. The staff presentation and the council's vote conclude a multiyear discussion of how to update an intermunicipal agreement to reflect current flows and plant function.
